Aster plant named &#39;Zanasparro&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Aster  plant named ‘Zanasparro’, characterized by its compact, upright to slightly spreading and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching growth habit; dense and bushy appearance; freely flowering habit; semi-double type inflorescences with violet to violet blue-colored ray florets; good postproduction longevity and good container performance.

Botanical designation: Symphyotrichum novi-belgii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ZANASPARRO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aster plant, botanically known as Symphyotrichum novi-belgii and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Zanasparro’.

The new Aster plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Aster plants with freely branching habit and attractive semi-double type inflorescences.

The new Aster originated from a cross-pollination in September, 2009 in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Symphyotrichum novi-belgii identified as code number 56, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Symphyotrichum novi-belgii identified as code number 48, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Aster plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in April, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Aster plant by terminal vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in May, 2010. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Aster plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Aster have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Zanasparro’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Zanasparro’ as a new and distinct Aster plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to slightly spreading and mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching growth habit; dense and bushy appearance.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Semi-double type inflorescences with violet to violet         blue-colored ray florets.     -   6. Good postproduction longevity and good container performance.

Plants of the new Aster differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in inflorescence size as plants of the new Aster have larger inflorescences than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Aster differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flowering habit as plants of the new Aster are more freely flowering than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Aster can be compared to plants of Aster novi-belgii ‘Dynaster’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,262. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Aster differ primarily from plants of ‘Dynaster’ in inflorescence form as plants of ‘Dynaster’ have single-type (daisy form) inflorescences.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Aster plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Aster plant. The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Zanasparro’ grown in a container. The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Zanasparro’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the late winter and early spring in 12-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Aster production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18.5° C. to 22° C., night temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 21° C. and light levels ranged from 3,500 to 7,000 lux. Plants were pinched one time and were ten weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Symphyotrichum novi-belgii ‘Zanasparro’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Symphyotrichum novi-belgii identified as code number 56, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Symphyotrichum novi-belgii identified as code number 48, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at             temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About nine to             ten days at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, autumn.—About eleven             to twelve days at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; close to 155D and 199D in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous semi-double type potted             Aster plant; compact, upright to slightly spreading and             mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit;             freely branching growth habit; dense and bushy appearance;             pinching enhances branching potential.         -   Plant height.—About 12 cm to 14 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 12 cm to 15 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 12 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm.             Internode length: About 6 mm to 10 mm. Aspect: About 45°             from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture and luster:             Pubescent; semi-glossy. Color: Close to 143A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 3 cm to 4.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 7 mm to 10 mm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,             glabrous; semi-glossy.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 138B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147D; venation, 148D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Type and arrangement.—Semi-double type inflorescence form             with lanceolate-shaped ray florets; inflorescences borne on             terminal and axillary branches above and beyond the foliar             plane; ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a             capitulum; inflorescences face mostly upright to slightly             outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             during the autumn in The Netherlands; plants begin flowering             about 5.5 weeks after planting.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about three weeks on the plant; inflorescences             persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with             about five to seven inflorescences per lateral branch and             about 18 to 21 inflorescence buds and inflorescences per             plant at one time.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About             5 mm. Shape: Globular. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             matte. Color: Close to N87B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.6 cm to 1.8 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.2 cm to             1.4 cm.         -   Receptacles.—Height: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Slightly domed. Color: Close to 193A.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 50 to 55             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 1.8 cm. Width:             About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Bluntly acute or             cmarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture and             luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; semi-glossy.             Texture and luster, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Orientation: Initially upright to semi-upright to eventually             close to perpendicular to the peduncle. Color: When opening             and fully opened, upper surface: Close to N87A; color             becoming closer to 94B with development. When opening and             fully opened, lower surface: Close to 94B; color becoming             closer to N88B with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: Numerous and             arranged at the center of the receptacle. Length: About 6 mm             to 7 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm to 1.5 mm. Shape: Tubular,             elongated; five free apices are acute. Texture and luster,             inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy.             Color, immature and mature, inner surface: Close to 158C;             color becoming closer to 186A with development. Color,             immature and mature, outer surface: Close to 145C; color             becoming closer to 186A with development.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 30 per             inflorescence arranged in about three whorls. Length: About             1.2 cm to 1.5 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Narrowly             elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.             Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent;             semi-glossy. Color, upper surface: Close to 137A. Color,             lower surface: Close to 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.5 cm to 2 cm. Diameter: About 0.7             mm to 0.8 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture and luster:             Pubescent; semi-glossy. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Quantity of stamens per floret: Five. Filament length:             About 2.5 mm. Filament color: Close to 150D. Anther shape:             Lanceolate. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: Close             to 162B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 17B.             Gynoecium: Quantity of pistils per floret: One. Pistil             length: About 8 mm. Stigma diameter: About 1.5 mm. Stigma             shape: Bifurcate. Stigma color: Close to 12D, color becoming             closer to 84C with development. Style length: About 4 mm to             5 mm. Style color: Close to 12D. Ovary color: Close to 149D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Aster. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Aster have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Aster     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Aster have been observed to     tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 32° C. to     33° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Aster plant named ‘Zanasparro’ as illustrated and described. 